Chapter 18

He can understand that, but it doesn't change the fact that his precious ring is out there in the hands of NoOneKnows. The mountain lion prowled around in fury.

"You're doing that growling thing again." It sounds like he wants to eat her, no matter how irrational that might sound to her ear but it doesn't dismiss the feeling. The fear in her eyes was palatable. 

He hadn't been aware that he was growling, Wolfariane closed his eyes to get himself under control. Hunger for her has been crawling at him since he stepped onto her front pouch hours ago, he has been battling himself—and his wolf ever since. 

Everything about control is turning out to be harder than usual, especially in front of this woman. 

If the ring is really where he is beginning to think it is, then this woman is in more danger than her health can ever put her. 

While he does not care one bit about what happens to non-changelings, he does not want to be involved in the reason why 'his mate' died. Not when she is already standing at death's door. 

After all, he can still keep away from her in Naturiah. It is a big world.

So, he will keep her in Naturiah, protect her until his ring is found, then he will let her go. That is all. 

"So, let me get something really straight right now. You are going to keep me captive till you find your ring?" 

"Yes." If that's how she's seeing it, he does not care enough to clarify. 

"How long is that gonna take?"

"Not more than two weeks." Unless his ring is in the wrong hands.

"What if you don't f-find it?"

His chiseled face turned cold like obsidian steel. "I will find it." He stated simply.

It only scared Ismena more than she already is. The man isn't even considering never finding his ring. To him, that is not even an option. So, what will become of her if he never finds his ring again?

"Look, I made a To-Do List that I need to fulfill before I d-die." She shook her head miserably, "I've only crossed off three out of nine things to do. I really can't be restrained now! If the reason why you want to keep me captive in your home is because of séx, we can arrange that. I'm attracted to you. You don't need to hold me captive in your home before you have séx with me."

He scowled, angry at his body's reaction to that sultry voice laced with fear and desperation. "I do not have the intention of ever having séx with you, Female. Ever."

She felt relief and insulted at the same time. "You sound so sure of yourself. I remember a certain man chewing on my lips like candy in the afternoon." 

His blank face offered no reaction at all to her jab. "That was a mistake that will not happen again. You mentioned a list," He changed the topic, "You can cross off the rest of it in Naturiah. You can also add 'Living In A Whole New World' as the number ten in your list."

"Naturiah? Is that the name of your home?" He has called that name twice now, it piqued her curiosity.

The hard part he wasn't looking forward to but has to be done if he will take her to Naturiah. "It is a world that probably hasn't existed to you before but a lot of humans know about it, but decide to keep it to themselves and away from the public. I am not human, female."

"So, you are an alien." A smile touched her cheeks as she teased him.

He didn't return the smile. "Look at me really well, Ismena. What do you see?"

The way he spoke her name sounded dark and erotic, she shivered. It's the first time he's saying her name. "I see a gym instructor in a weird but very expensive garment, leaning back against the wall and effortlessly telling me his plans to hold me captive in his alien home called Naturiah."

Gym instructor? What was that? Wolfariane's brows knitted into a frown of confusion.

The changelings do their best to keep up with the changes of the world, but in the end, they are lovers of nature; Land, forest, trees...the wild. Their ways are simple and more like the old ways... of the dark ages. 

However, he might not understand fully what a gym instructor means, but he does know something else, "My garment portrays monarchy. It is not weird." He sounded insulted too.

"Monarchy?" She inclined her head to survey again his fur-lined black cloak designed with the face of a huge open-mouthed wolf with teeth bared in attack mode, it covered his whole strong body from the neck to his feet, "Well, I'll admit it does look...elegant." she concluded.

"I am not an alien, Female. I live on this earth, but we live in the wild. So far away from human eyes. I am a changeling." He announced then in that deceptive calm voice, his blue eyes pinning hers.

Changeling. "Oh, I know that word, I remember seeing it a time or two in Sandra's fictional books. So, what do you morph into, huh? A dragon?" She couldn't help laughing, "You do look like one, by the way."

He glowered at her. "You are not taking me seriously. I do not joke, female. Do I look like someone who has no better use for his time than to jest around?"

"No, you don't. That is why it's pretty funny that you're doing it anyway." She was still laughing until tears glistened in her eyes, "Changeling? Really?" 

Another bark of laughter, "You truly don't need that kind of 'story' if you're gonna kidnap me to your CHANGELING home, it's not as if you're giving me a choice anyway. Pua-ha-ha-ha-ha..." She laughed and laughed and laughed.

He let her. The night's air from the window beside the wall he was leaning on caressed his garment, causing warmth to spread over his body. Or is it the woman's laughter?

The sound of it was both angelic and demonic at the same time, he might have tried to find comfort in it if it didn't grate so much. The woman is laughing at him.

"Degar?" He called in a low steady voice.

The leopard Alpha grimaced from the driver's side of the car outside where he was waiting patiently for his Alpha King to conclude his business with the female. 

He'd shut off his hearing from his vicinity, knowing that Wolfariane will not want to be eavesdropped on for any reason unless he'd invited him to the conversation. But, he couldn't help overhearing the Alpha King trying to convince the female that he is non-human, and the laughter of the female.

Wolfariane is rarely a man of jest or many words, so, Degar had expected that call. Yet, it didn't stop him from wincing when it came. "Yes, Alpha King?" His voice was fortunately calm when he answered.

"Join me here." Was all he said.

He hesitated. The girl has a bad heart, he isn't sure she is ready for that. "Are you sure?"

"It is the only way. If the ring is in the wrong hands, then we have stayed here for too long. We need to leave, and the female goes with me."

Degar isn't going to delude himself by thinking he's taking her with him because she is his mate...knowing fully well who Wolfariane is, and his feelings towards non-changelings. "Coming right in, Alpha King."

Ismena, on the other hand, managed to get hold of herself. As she wiped the tears from her eyes that came from laughing so hard, she wondered why the man was talking to himself. And he called Degar. 

The only Degar she knows is his good-looking, muscled, blond-haired driver waiting outside to drive him home. Maybe the man is delusional too. 

"Not that I mean any offense at all, I don't. But don't you think it's time you check yourself into an asylum?" She began, amusement flickering her eyes, "I mean, you obviously are a rich man, I bet you work for some big shot company that pays real money. So, why don't you—"

The sound of her bedroom door opening cut off the rest of the words from her mouth. She turned towards it and was baffled to see his driver entering her bedroom. 

He's almost as tall as Wolfariane, Ismena felt dwarfed. And he looks as... powerful too.

He took three steps further into the room, stopped, turned to her, and inclined his head slightly in greeting. Then, he turned towards Wolfariane and bowed, "Alpha King?"

Alpha King? Seriously? Ismena did her best to gulp down laughter again.

"Show her your other half." He ordered, his tone tranquil.

Degar hesitated still. The female is not ready. But, the Alpha King is right, they do not have a lot of time on their hands. So, he jerked his head once. 

Then, he turned away from Wolfariane towards a very smirking Ismena. His eyes pinning hers, there was no warning or anything, he just closed his eyes... and shifted.

One minute, Degar stood between her and the door, the next minute, a huge six-foot tall cream-yellow leopard dominated three times the space the man occupied before, its beady blue eyes watching her pointedly.